Workforce Solutions Alamo (WSA) works to bring together people and jobs in a 12-county region across South Texas, by providing solutions and resources for both businesses and job seekers. As it works to build a premier workforce with the skills needed for Alamo-area employers to gain a competitive edge in the global economy, WSA hopes to share with the community information that will inform, prepare and provide for that objective.

Note: This is an mySA.com City Brights Blog. These blogs are not written or edited by mySA or the San Antonio Express-News. The authors are solely responsible for the content.

San Antonio’s outstanding water and energy utilities help to make our economy strong

A national association’s recognition of the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) as one of the best water companies in the United States gives me a good excuse to brag about the quality of our city’s utility services. Most of us take our water and energy utilities for granted, but they play an extremely important role in making our economy strong.

SAWS received a Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance last week at the national conference of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies for its leadership efforts in providing clean, reliable water services and outstanding customer service. Among other strengths, the AMWA cited SAWS’ 50-year Water Management Plan identifying a variety of water supply programs to ensure reliable service. That includes advancing efforts in water conservation and recycling, as well as bringing us new water sources, including the regional Carrizo Aquifer project and desalination of brackish water.

CPS Energy, our municipally owned provider of electricity and natural gas, has a strong reputation for its management and reliability, as well as some of the lowest energy costs among major cities. It also has highly diverse sources of energy, including its leadership in renewable “green” energy, such as wind and solar power.

CPS’ financial strength has earned it high marks from bond rating agencies, such as the recent AA+ from Fitch Ratings.

These well run utilities help to make San Antonio an attractive place for companies to locate and expand their operations. CPS Energy and SAWS are among our strongest selling points when competing against other cities for major employers. They have helped to tip the balance in our favor during close competitions with other cities.

So, the bottom line is that our strongly managed utilities are an important factor in bringing jobs to San Antonio and keeping them here.